The “I Have a Dream” Foundation works with youth (K-12) on-site in a housing community approximately 7 miles south of SMU – Cedar Springs Place (Tollway and Wycliff)
There are only two employees (Sally McMullin and Phillip Lyles), and they serve over 50 children after school (There are more living on-site not receiving any help – sad). I Have a Dream is looking to partner with schools/people/organizations to help them, help their children ‘WIN’! In life and in education! They subscribe to the proverb: “It takes a village…!”
The majority of the children did not have any early childhood education and therefore, are below grade level. They want to provide early childhood education and fill in the gaps where their schools/parents/etc can’t. Simply put, they want to give them what they did not receive. Specifically, the K-3 children. There are 1st and 2nd graders that don’t recognize letters, yet they are sent home with spelling words and vocabulary words for homework.
We can’t change what the schools are doing overnight, but we CAN change what WE are providing them after school. However, the problem is, MANPOWER and resources. I Have a Dream must rely on partnerships to help these children.
Specifically, they are looking for students to come and READ with the children and spend time in conversations with them. WHY? They want to close the ‘ACHIEVEMENT GAP’! —- A world-famous study by researchers Betty Hart and Todd Risley (1995) found that some children heard thirty million fewer words by their 4th birthdays than others. The children who heard more words were better prepared when they entered school. These same kids, when followed into third grade, had bigger vocabularies, were stronger readers, and got higher test scores. The bottom line: the kids who started out ahead, stayed ahead; the kids who started out behind, stayed behind. This disparity in learning is referred to as the achievement gap.
Please feel free to contact Sally via phone/text/email — 972-672-7953, sally@ihaveadreamdallas.org